Hello,
I'm looking to start 2 possibly open source projects.
The first is a CNC mill simulator. I know there is a free one now, CNCSimulator but it is too limited, buggy, not updated much and not open source. I have a decent amount of code already done using .Net C# and Dao (an openGL bridge for .Net), and an open source GCode interpreter (from EMC, thus this project would almost certainly need to be openSource). I've plan on doing a full csg model, not openGL stencils and would like to support 4&5 axis. I'm expecting it to be simlar to the advanced simulator portion of Visual Mill, and 100% free, piece of cake :) Using Mono for Linux compatibility is a possibility.
The second project is an Alibre plugin to do decent rendering. Hypershot is available and I am told it costs nearly $1000 - as far as I can see POVRay can do just as good, is free, and it seems it would be fairly easy to go between the Alibre plugin API to POV SDL language. The work would be in the plugin code, supporting UI (selecting textures etc), not much modeling/geometry.
I'm looking to hook up with anyone relatively comfortable with .Net, openGL, BSP/CSG (cutter swept solids is something I have not done yet, experience in that would be a big help) and of course GCode and CNC.
I have been a programmer over 30 years (MCSD), development manager for the last 15 or so of those and I am quite capable. But I find in my retirement I need some collaboration to keep me motivated.

Why free software shouldn't depend on Mono or C#

http://www.fsf.org/news/dont-depend-on-mono

Why free software shouldn't depend on Mono or C#

http://www.fsf.org/news/dont-depend-on-mono
Ahh, stallman is an idiot with his own agenda. I have no interest in the Open Source Religion, just think open source and shared development is a good idea for some software. When a group of people choose to run open source because they hate microsoft then they are just as bad as microsoft. I'm not in that camp. I choose A over B not because B is (philosophically) bad, but because A is a better choice.

I encourage your ambition, I wish the best for your project.

http://spiked3.com/povx/

Well on its way!

That's the second project. What about the first?? ;)

That's the second project. What about the first?? ;)
LOL. The first has been an on and off project for a while. It's doing everything but cutting at the moment :) It reads gcode and moves everything around with openGL, even renders CSG cuts. It just needs to generate the swept solid for the csg. I needed a break from it for a while. I was pleasantly surprised how quick the POV-Ray rendering went though, and its more likely to be the first presentable of the 2.

http://www.spiked3.com/povx/cncgo3.jpg

I have made the project available in its current form today, with source and binaries. Further development depends on interest.

http://www.spiked3.com/povx

Mike